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When I discovered there was a beer fountain in Slovenia, I had to add it to my Slovenia itinerary!
I can’t even remember how I found out about it, maybe from just scrolling on Google maps, but when I saw that I would be driving through the town it was in, I had to stop by!
I stopped for a few beers on a sunny afternoon and this is how you can visit it yourself when you go to Slovenia!
Where is the beer fountain in Zalec
Zalec is a small town in central Slovenia. It is about an hour drive from the capital Ljubljana and about the same to Maribor, the second largest city.
I passed through on my way from Ljubljana to Ptuj. If you drive this route, you can check out my guide to visiting Ptuj.
It is slightly off the main highway so should be easy to visit for anyone with a car. If you don’t have a car, you can get a bus to Zalec from Ljubljana. There are 5-6 buses per day that take about 90 minutes and you can find details on this website here.
There are a few car parks around Zalec and all of them are free (which will be a blessing for those that have paid for parking elsewhere in Slovenia) and I parked at this one.
It was a short 5 minute walk to the beer fountain.
How the beer fountain in Zalec works
When you arrive it will look like a monument in a park.
The two curves of stone and a few signs around the outside note you are at the beer fountain, but it isn’t a free flowing fountain of beer like I was expecting.
The current price list and the mug you getYou’ll then see a sign to buy your beer mug from a nearby stall.
Note that this stall is open from 10am to 7.30pm daily (opens at 12 on Mondays) from April to October, so if you’re expecting an all night piss up, you’ll be disappointed.
The price of the beer isn’t cheap, but you do get to keep the beer mug as a souvenir which eases the price somewhat. The more beer you buy, the cheaper it will be. €14 for a litre of beer isn’t a bad deal, but €10 for just 300ml or about a half pint did seem a bit steep. As I was driving, I went for the smaller option which made it expensive.
You should also note that each beer is only poured as a 100ml serving which is great for tasting but I did wish I had some more. The beers were tasty and a bigger portion would have been appreciated.
Take the mug over to one of the 5 “fountains” and place it on the stand. Each fountain serves a different beer and the list of beers is on one of the many signs around the outside of the park.
The chip in the bottom of the mug is read, a spout comes down and will then pour you your beer. You can then go and take a seat, or stand at one of the barrels and enjoy your drink before washing out your beer mug at the designated section and pouring yourself another one.
There are signs up around the outside of the centre fountains explaining the history of hop production in the region, how beer is made and tasting notes on all the different types of beer they are currently serving.
One of the seating areas
Or you may wish to stand at these barrelsIs the beer fountain worth visiting?
The beer fountain in Zalec is a quirky and unique experience, I don’t know of anything else like it in Europe or around the world.
Getting to pour your own beer and sit and drink it in a public park will be an even bigger novelty to people from other countries where this isn’t allowed.
So if you’re driving on a route that will take you past Zalec, then definitely stop by!
But if you aren’t, I wouldn’t go out of your way to see it. The beers are expensive for what you get, €10 for 300ml of beer isn’t a great deal, even if you do get to keep the mug. And at the end of the day, it is just beer in a park which can be drunk all over Europe.
I’m glad I went and it is cool, but I don’t think I’m going to put this in the “must go out of your way to see” category or attractions.
You may also like: Is Slovenia Worth Visiting? My Honest Opinion
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Summing up the beer fountain of Zalec
Finding a beer fountain is a unique experience in a small town in Central Slovenia. If you’re driving around the country and have the opportunity to go close by Zalec, it is worth stopping off for a few beers in a lovely park in the sunshine.
But if I wasn’t in that part of Slovenia, knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit. There are plenty of other great places to have a beer in Slovenia!
Dan is an avid traveller from London. His first big adventure was in 2010 living in Malaysia for 3 months. He has been on the road almost constantly since 2015 travelling to destinations that aren’t on the mainstream tourist trail and working full time and travelling since 2021.
